Residents of  Acocks Green are becoming very concerned about the future of Acocks Green Police Station.  This, 1909 building has an interesting history.

It was built when Acocks Green was still part of the County of Worcestershire. Hence the three pear ornamentation over the central doorway to the police station.  The pears are a feature of the City of Worcester coat of arms.

Look out for the three pears over the main doorway – as in the picture on the right here.   At the time when the police station was built Acocks Green, as part of the parish of Yardley,  was involved in a debate about whether to remain a part of Worcestershire, or whether to become part of the City of Birmingham.  It seems that the pretty red terracotta police station was a gift from Worcestershire in the hope that we decide to remain in Worcestershire.  Ungrateful   Yardley plumped for Birmingham!  So we have been Brummies ever since, but, in commemoration of this part of our History, showing that we were once part of Worcestershire, our  local Police Station still sports its Worcestershire pears.

For more detail, on this Grade B, locally, listed, building,  a helpful note on the Acocks Green History Society website reads:

Built 1909 for Yardley Rural District Council. Included a courthouse. Red brick and terracotta; tile roof. Two-storeys. Almost symmetrical elevation to Yardley Road. Central section with rusticated ground floor, above which is a central pedimented bay with flanking projecting bays with segmental pediments. To either side are two-storey canted bays. Sliding sash windows throughout. On corner with Alexander Road is an octagonal turret with lead dome and keyed ocular windows. Low boundary wall with mould terracotta coping.

This week we learn that the Police Authority are proposing to allocate 2.3 million pounds for a modernisation/rebuild of Acocks Green Police Station during the 2014/15 financial year.  What, in effect does this mean?  Nothing has yet been decided but it seems that options include demolishing and rebuilding (Already deeply unpopular with local activists; the multi-circulation emails have been flying this week.) or selling off and building a new police station elsewhere in Acocks Green.  However, Acocks Green Police Station is a large building.  Who would buy it?  How would they treat it?  To what purpose could they put it?  Could they afford to give it the tlc it needs?  Would they care?

There is more information on Cllr Roger Harmer’s blog

Ayoub Khan, Cabinet Member BCC Community Services & Safety Addresses a Concerned Crowd

This morning (Sunday 22 January 2012) a concerned group of Acocks Green residents and local politicians of various political shades met for an very urgent and very impromptu meeting (called last night) outside the station itself to review the situation.  The meeting was attended by members of Acocks Green Focus Group, Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum, Fox Green Neighbourhood Forum (Acocks Green), Acocks Green Conservative, Labour and Lib-Dem parties (including Cllr Stewart Stacey (Lab) and Councillors Roger Harmer and Iain Bowen (Lib-Dem), Yardley MP John Hemming.  They were addressed by Cllr Bo b Jones, Chair of West Midlands Police Authority Finance and Resources Committee and Ayub Khan, Cabinet Member for BCC Community Services and Safety.

The main points that were raised centred on the future of the building. Residents stressed that their concern is not just that there is ANY police building in Acocks Green, but that they keep THIS important and  attractive, historic building in the heart of Acocks Green’s proposed Conservation Area.  To loose it would mean leaving a huge visual hole in the area.  As Jon Morris of Acocks Green Focus Group and Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum said, nothing else would balance the surrounding buildings, like the Railway Station, Fire Station, and Glynne Edwards Hall in the same way.   Julia Larden (Acocks Green Focus Group) pointed out that selling to another ‘sympathetic owner’ is not necessarily a safe option.  Another public building in Acocks Green (1073 Warwick Road/The Churchill Club/The Knoll) was sold to a sympathetic owner who is now being forced to sell on, having been unable to undertake the planned conversion work due to financial difficulties in the credit crunch. Ann Clarke (Acocks Green Focus Group and Acocks Green Conservative Party) pointed out that part of the Police Station was, originally, residential accommodation, and that this might be a way forward.  Cllrs Jones and Khan said that they would take on board the concerns of the local people and consider the possibility of retaining the building, with some parts of it being let to other organisations.

There is likely to be a further meeting in the coming months (Indoors, and out of the wind!!) so watch this space.

Acocks Green is an internet savy community of bloggers.  There a set of Flickr slide show/set of pictures of the meeting here  and two more descriptions of the meeting here and here (And we will add any further accounts which appear.)

7 Sherbourne Road – new   frontage – work still ongoing.

7 Sherbourne Road - new frontage - close up of corbel detail at top, patterned blue bricks below and window arches

7 Sherbourne Road with 9 Sherbourne Road showing, for comparison

The original number 7 Sherbourne Road, in 2009, before the house was demolished.

The new frontage is fairly similar to the older one next door, in appearance.  Acocks Green people would still rather have had the buildings they had before (see comment on our previous post) and we will continue to press for a Conservation Area in the vicinity of this development; a walk with Conservation Officer Mike Hodder to make initial plans for our own DIY Conservation Area takes place next week, and after that we will be inviting the involvement of local people and putting up updates.  However,  despite the ugly new window frames and the other missing features the care and attention paid to the now surviving detail in this rebuild shows what can be achieved in a work of reconstruction – other developers please take note.

Acocks Green people living around Sherbourne Road Acocks Green were very sad when a set of fine Victorian houses: 1-7  Sherbourne Road were demolished a couple of years ago.  This is part of an patch of Acocks Green long ‘ear marked’ to form the core of a Conservation Area and we have frequently been asked what is now happening to the land there.   The company, Mighty Fine Developments, which bought the properties from E. H. Smith’s, Building Merchants, promised at the time that they would rebuild the frontages: along the lines of assurances they gave to Birmingham City Council Planning Department to reconstruct frontages only in original style.

It was also noted that building materials from the original buildings were being retained, and there  has now, for around two years or more, been a visual promise, also, in the form of this displayed notice:

which mentions eight four bedroom ‘high quality Victorian style houses’ – with frontages presumably to be as illustrated, above, here.  (Double clicking on our imges always enlarges.)

Well, it does appear to be happening: see below – double clicking will enlarge. It is difficult to get good photographs because the area is heavily fenced off to keep intruders out, which is understandable.  However, the buildings are now high enough to get some pictures.  What we note from this is that reclaimed bricks (hopefully the originals) seem to be being used.  We note also that arched windows are being used, and, although you have to look hard in this picture, there are proper brick arches above the windows.  Will these properly reproduce the original, much mourned, houses?   Too early to say yet, but we will be watching and living in hope.  Watch this space (and the houses, if you live near enough!) better pics as soon as we can get ‘em.

Meantime, whilst expressing (cautious) gratitude to Mighty Fine Developments for appearing to make some effort here, we are concerned to prevent any more heart stopping losses like these,  if we can.  We are currently in talks with our new local Conservation Officer, Dr Mike Hodder, and there will be a walk around Acocks Green to make a preliminary survey of the area in the next few weeks.  After that, watch out for a local public meeting to discuss our Community led  Conservation Area Scheme -  we will be putting together a new style  community Conservation Area proposal.  We will need all concerned local hands to the deck to help log everything in the chosen area.  Lets hang on to what we have left folks!

You will find the building, with clear picture here:

Google Map

The new artist impression plans are shown here, along side the present building.  Please fast double click for larger, clearer, images.

The following description of this unique  building, with its strking Arts and Crafts style gable roof covered windows  is given here on the Acocks Green History Society website:

Built 1924. Red/brown brick; tile roof. Single-storey. Occupies corner site. Entrance front of asymmetrical composition with recessed door in arched opening with half-timbered gable above. Side elevation of three bays; five windows in the rhythm 1:3:1. Symmetrical composition with tall gabled bays at each end containing recessed bow windows set between brick piers under a half timber gable. Steep roof topped by Arts and Crafts style femerell with three hipped dormers. Casement windows with glazing bars throughout.

For notes on the Stockfield scheme for the building please visit the Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum website: Landmark Development

It is possible to view and discuss these plans at the building itself on:

Friday 21 January, 1.00 pm

Friday 21 January 7.00 pm

Saturday 22nd January, 1.00 pm

]]> http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2011/01/15/stockfield-community-associations-new-plans-for-acocks-green-baptist-church-hall/feed/ 2 http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2010/10/09/42-and-42-flint-green-road-in-door-disaster/ http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2010/10/09/42-and-42-flint-green-road-in-door-disaster/#comments Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:00:52 +0000 Julia http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/?p=1128 Acocks Green residents were pleased when the two fine Victorian properties, 42 and 44 Flint Green Road, a strong feature of the local area, were recently saved from demolition.  This was after a vigorous campaign: see for example here or here (You will find a list of entries on this campaign if you put 44 Flint Green Road into the Search Box top right.)  The campaign was also supported by the national organisation SAVE , by The Birmingham Mail and by local councillor, Roger Harmer.  The houses have survived.  The original doors have been less fortunate.

44 Flint Green Road New Door and Original Door Compared

Focus Group members were saddned to notice, that the doors to both 42 and 44 Flint Green Road have been replaced.  The result is a disappointing cheapening and vulgarising of the appearance of the houses.  The original green door, seen on the right  would have been a solid, heavy, Victorian front door, made with high quality Victorian ‘pitch’ pine: dense, slow grown, pine which was used for front doors, ships and other places where a durable wood was required.  It has six panels with proper architrive mouldings around each panel and original brass door furniture.  A door like this would have been made by a craftsman, to fit this house.  It must have had many layers of paint, but it would always have been smoothly painted with no trace of the original wood underneath.

The new door may look superficially ‘smart’ because it is new.  It is also, by comparison with the old door, poorly made – it has no proper architrive.   It is designed so that the grain of the wood shows through, in a, tacky,  fake ‘olde worlde’ pseudo medieval style which would have apalled any Victorian.  The door furniture is clunky, cheap and simply wrong.  The whole item is clearly mass produced and bears no relation to the house.

Front Door, 42 Flint Green Road

There is a simple example of ugliness in the new 42 Flint Green Road door here.  However, there is one sight difference.  We have learned that the original  doors to both buildings went into skips outside the buildings.

On enquiring we were told us that we could check the skips if we liked, and keep any doors that we found.  The door to 42 Flint Green Road was here – half buried in setting cement, but saveable.   Sadly the skip for 44 had recently gone. Workmen, to whom we are very grateful, assisted us in removing the door to 42.  (Thanks also to the prompt response of  Graham of Brum Pushbikes: good work Graham!)  If one of the many people who, we are advised, has expressed an interest in purchasing one of these two properites would like to have an original door back – for either house, then such a door will be available for a while.  It is in good condition.  It will need repainting.  The incongruous  new, plastic, frame, that has been put in will need replacing.  It depends how much you love Victorian houses, but it is all possible.

Front Door to 42 Flint Green Road, in Storage

If you are interested please use the ‘Contact Us’ button near the top of the list of links on the right here.  The door will be kept for a few months, but early contact would be appreciated.  The door was given to us free, and we will not be charging to pass it on: free to anyone who purchases either 42, or 44, Flint Green Road, Acocks  Green.

The pillars and porch canopy over 44 Flint Green Road are, at time of writing this post,  still there.  Now, let us hope very much …

This is yet one more reason why Acocks Green still, urgently, needs a Conservation Area, in order to prevent such destruction.   These are difficult times, but our campaign for a Conservation Area goes on, and we hope to have more discussions, and for residents to be able to undertake some work on this project themselves, soon.

Tweet

Save Birmingham City Council Conservation Department

Note the actual petition link is now  just below, for ease of access.  Reasons for signing follow.

Click here now to sign the petition.  It is easy.  (By all means add a  comment, if you wish, but it is also fine to leave the comment space blank.)    Sign the Statement

Note: we are not possessive of this petition!  Please feel absolutely free to Tweet it on Twitter, Flog it on Face Book, Stick it up on The Stirrer Mail it to The Mail, post it to The Post,  Bang it on your own Blog, or just email it to your friends.  Lets get as many signatures as possible.

Why Sign?

Great concern has now been expressed by Birmingham’s conservationists  at the 23rd February 2010 Council approved Budget plan to disband Birmingham City Council Conservation Department, in order to save £350,000 a year.    Here is one recent piece in The Birmingham Post:

Fears For Birmingham\’s Historic Buildings if Conservation Group is Disbanded

The Council has a ‘Conservation Panel’ of local conservationists who work with the Conservation Department.   The Chair of this panel,  Cllr Paula Smith was, herself, so concerned at the plans to disband the Department that she went against her party in abstaining from voting for this measure.   Birmingham’s Conservation officers are highly trained and experienced not only in Conservation work, but, more specifically in Conservation work in Birmingham.  They know the history of the areas they work with, and they know many of the active voluntary conservationists among the residents; residents who are used to being able to contact the Conservation Department with their concerns and speak to ‘their’ local officers.

There have now been assurances that Birmingham’s Conservation officers will continue but they will be ‘absorbed’ into the general Planning Department.  This is unlikely to be satisfactory.  There seems a real danger that much of the time conservation officers will no longer be engaged on conservation work, at a time when we are already seriously behind on city conservation projects.  Very recently Acocks Green councillors and concerned residents were told that plans to designate an area in Acocks Green as a Conservation Area had been put back from six months to eighteen months, because of the huge backlog of work, and other projects in the pipeline.  This is not just about Acocks Green, though.  This is a city wide petition.  How much Conservation work will happen anywhere in the city after the disbanding of the Department.   How many of our fine buildings will we now lose?

Front 44 Flint Green Road

With thanks to Helen Roberts for raising this, and to David Treadwell Chair of Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum  for locating the pdf of the plans, we are publishing this new plan for 42-44 Flint Green Road, Acocks Green.   I already know that David and I and the Chair of Arden Road residents are in full agreement that this is everything Acocks Green does NOT want.  More details later.  Please look at the pdf of the plan statement at:  documentstream.aspx

The other plan documents can be accessed from this link to Birmingham City Council website: Link to view 42-44 Flint Green Road Plan Application docs

Let the council know what you think.  Let us know what you think.

There is now a batch of pictures of these two fine Victorian houses on Flikr here .   Incidentally, an international Flickr based group collecting examples of attractive and unusual doorways has requested that the photograph of the door way of 44 Flint green Road also be added to their collection.  Request granted.

The application number is: 2009/04327/PA.  This  post will be added to further.

7 Sherbourne Road

Birmingham City Council are currently giving sympathetic consideration to our proposal for a Conservation Area.   They have implied that some part of Acocks Green probably will be given Conservation Area status and have thanked us for drawing their attention to the quality of building in Acocks Green.  They need to consult with various bodies before they proceed further.

Meantime, a  number of people have recently asked us what is happening about this set  fine mid-Victorian properties  in Sherbourne Road, Acocks Green.  For many years they were owned by local builder’s merchants,  E. H. Smith’s.  1-7 are to be demolished and replaced by fourteen houses.  Planning permission was granted on 2 October 2008.  The Planning Application Number is C/02972/08/FUL.   If we had a Conservation already things might have been different.  However one of the conditions of the Planning Approval is the retention and rebuilding of the frontages of these buildings.  Also the Statement supplied by the architects reads: ‘The front elevations of No’s 1-7 will require careful numbering and careful dismantling for re-errection with the new superstructure behind.’  This looks to be starting very soon.  A fence has already appeared in front of some of the buildings.  If you have good reason to believe that conditions are not behing adhered to we have told that it would be best to contact the Council Planning Department.  (303 1115).

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This picture of 20 Dudley Park Road, in the process of recent demolition, was kindly supplied by David Treadwell from Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum. The Forum are supporting The Focus Group in our campaign for a Conservation Area in Acocks Green. The picture helps to say exactly why we need one.

The link here takes you to a disturbing story in our neighbouring suburb of Hall Green. Highfield House Reduced to Rubble. Many Acocks Green people have also commented to us about this, and a similar story concerning Gaydon Hall, in Solihull.

Watch this space for further news about our Conservation Project coming shortly.

Stop Press Update: Our Conservation proposals have now been looked at by Birmingham City Council Conservation Department.  They are seriously considering making part of Acocks Green a Conservation area.  We will know more after a meeting in early June.  However, we have been told that our proposals are put together well and that the quality of buildings in Acocks Green means that there is definitely ‘potential’ for a Conservation Area.   Conservation have thanked us for drawing their attention to this area.

Speakers from Acocks Green Focus Group will be outlining the proposals, their implications,  and the need for a Conservation Area at the Next Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum meeting, at 7.30 pm on Thursday May 14 Acocks Green Baptist Church Hall. (Corner of Yardley Road and Alexander Road, B27.)  For further details of this and other Forum activities  you can also check out the Acocks  Green Neighbourhood Forum’s own new website  here Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum